In 1984, Neil Bonnett was driving a Junior Johnson owned Chevrolet in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series . When the circuit arrived at the road course in Riverside, California in June of that year, he faced a problem. He had dislocated the thumb on his right hand in a crash during a previous race and the huge cast he now had on that hand made shifting gears very difficult and painful. There was no way he could drive the entire race.
Enter Benny Parsons. The team asked Parsons if he could drive in relief of Bonnett. The plan was for Bonnett to dash into the pits as the field came down for the green flag. Then Parsons would get in the car and run the race. By NASCAR rules, this would give Bonnett whatever points that Benny Parson could earn.
In this week’s photo you can see Bonnett getting out of the car with the cast on his hand and Parsons ready to climb in. When he rejoined the action, Parsons was not only in last place, but nearly a half lap behind the field.
Most people didn’t think of Benny Parsons as being much of a road racer, but by the end of the 95 lap contest Benny Parsons had brought the car home in second place! Unfortunately, because Bonnett was the official driver of record, the history books show him as finishing second not Benny Parsons.
By the way, the race winner that day was Terry Labonte who would go on that year to win his first of two NASCAR Championships. But the best performance of the race was, without a doubt, Parsons’ charge from last to second.
